Wheel for Meeting of 11-5-2018

Meeting called to order by: President Dan Lehuta – “I was married by a judge, I should have asked for a jury”

Invocation by: Sam Bovard

Pledge of Allegiance led by: Dick Cushing

Song: America the Beautiful – Allen Miller

Four Way Test: Kalo Wilcox

Visiting Rotarians

None

Guests of Rotarians

None

Happy Bucks

Justice Debra Stephens – Proud that when the Washington State Supreme Court heard the case involving the Yakima Nation Tribal Council Chairman that they allowed him to wear his full headdress, in contract to the U.S. Supreme Court, who would not allow him to wear it into the court room.

TRL is a public library system that provides library services to the residents of five counties in Southwest Washington State: Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston Counties. Under Washington State law, TRL is an Intercounty Rural Library District and is funded by property taxes and revenue from timber sales in the 5-county area.

In the 1960's the Washington State Library Commission initiated a demonstration project to improve library services in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston counties in response to requests from the counties' residents. Through this cooperative effort, library services were consolidated to create a more efficient and economical regional operation, to increase the size of the library collections and to provide service for the first time in several rural communities.

Citizens voted in November 1968 to unite the five counties into one library district, the Timberland Regional Library (TRL). TRL services began in 21 libraries with Becky Morrison serving as the first Executive Director. Since 1968, TRL has provided information, reading and lifelong learning services at 27 libraries offering over 1 million items to more than half a million people.

Cheryl informed the group that TRL has over 310 employees and is 90% funded by property taxes.

TRL’s best-known program - The summer reading program offered over 1,000 events and over 29,000 attendees in 2018. TRL’s lesser-known programs:

2013 strategic plan created a focus on jobs, which resulted in the Work Source network – helping improve unemployment and under-employment

TRL works with community colleges on High School 21, a program to help people over 21 complete their high school diploma through online coursework.

TRL has programs for those who are learning English as a second language.

TRL is involved in the Veteran’s History Project with over 170 interviews of US Veterans

Zineo – a free online service with over 150 magazines

TRL is adding interesting new community benefits including light therapy boxes, hiking backpacks and the “lucky day collection” top available books with no hold.

Closing of branches? This topic has been tabled by the board until August of 2019

New Olympia library? This has been on ongoing issue and they are waiting on the City of Olympia to provide guidance on a path forward to a new building. Contact Mike Reid (mreid@ci.olympia.wa.us) to express support for a new library.